Center: 'I love these children so much'

For the 30-odd children living there, the building looks more like a bright home than a care center. The children, most of them orphans sent from the local child welfare home, all have serious or fatal illnesses. The oldest is 10, while the youngest are just a few months old.

The center is not a foreboding place, but one where there is plenty of love.

Each time a child dies, the children and staff members release a colored balloon. To many of the children there, passing away means becoming a colorful balloon and flying into the sky.

All the staff members are female and are called "mom" by the terminally ill children. The center now has more than 70 workers, including 10 professional nurses and 48 highly-trained care workers. Each "mom" cares for three children.

The employees generally found life difficult when they began working at the center. Compared with normal children, caring for those who are terminally ill requires more patience and energy.

The workers constantly have to monitor the children's health, mood changes and other requirements. Many of them work hard to improve their professional knowledge, including learning about child psychology and nutrition.

Sometimes "miracles" happen at the center. Shortly after it was founded, Huang was told by doctors that a newborn she received had less than 48 hours to live.

She and workers at the center decided to hold the baby for the next two days. "He should die in a 'mom's' arms if he couldn't make it," Huang said.

The baby boy, who has severe birth defects, not only made it through the next 48 hours, but still lives at the center, with staff members caring for him.

"It's one of our principles that each dying child should leave the world in a 'mom's' arms," Huang said. "We also ask the workers and volunteers to frequently touch the children's hands and feet, or simply to sit next to them to keep them company."